A Little Test
by AngelWithACrookedHalo
Summary: Rita is frustrated by her love for Estelle and tries to make a love potion. Ristelle, fluff, OTP into forever.


A Little Test

_Half a cup of sugar...two and three thirds pints of honey...add a dash of cinnamon... _

No one was allowed in the large inn room Myorzo had to offer. No matter how many times one tried to enter, they were immediately screamed at to stay out as soon as their hand touched the door. Not everyone was entirely sure how she would know they were there, even if they stood a few feet away. It was top secret; that was the only certain thing about it.

_Two pure tears...was that too much carbon...? One and one fourths of caramel should be enough..._

Villagers that were also curious didn't have a chance of finding out what was going on in that room. Whatever it was had a sticky-sweet odor that escaped through any and every crack to the building. Some couldn't handle the pungent scent and tried to complain to the Elder. He too was turned down by her yells to keep out. Not too long after the third visit by the elder, a sign popped up on the door that read in messy handwriting: "Stay far away from this room. I mean it. -Mordio."

_Let a rose soak for half an hour... mix well..._

Rita Mordio stuck her tongue out slightly as she hovered over a chemistry set. The goggles that rested normally on top of her head now covered her eyes. She leaned in close to a cylinder beaker filled with a light pink, bubbling substance. She cautiously squeezed a couple drops of a purple liquid into the mix. The liquid bubbled and hissed under her nose, letting off a fresh batch of sweet scent into the air. She coughed a couple times from the pungent, sugary odor. For a brief moment, she was reminded of all the rich women that talked bad about her. The kind that seemed to dump the entire bottle of perfume on their heads before leaving the house, making it unbearable to stand less than five feet away from them. But they were unimportant now. And could go screw themselves for all Rita cared. There were more important things to be thinking about right now. She leaned in close to her concoction to examine it closely. It was now a dark pink, bubbling lightly with millions of tiny bubbles that made it hiss. She let out a small giggle. No one was around to see or hear her, why not act girly? After many failed attempts, she was sure this would be the one to work. She moved her goggles back to the top of her head and scooted backwards to admire her work. Not only did it look like how she wanted it to, but it hadn't exploded this time. That was the biggest improvement of the day at this moment. The mage grabbed her small notebook from next to the set and jotted down a few notes in its pages, mumbling as she did so.

"The amount of NaCl needs to be doubled, not reduced...change that nine to a three..." As soon as she finished up her note editing, Rita snapped her notebook shut with a grin on her face. "All right. All I should have to do is drink it..."

***Earlier...***

With a yell, Rita called out the solution to the equation her thumb covered on her weapon of choice, her very own sash. She twirled the weapon around, sending the monster she targeted sky-high. It crashed back to the ground, dead as a doornail. Rita smirked in triumph and hooked her weapon to her waist before dusting her hands off.

"Wow! Rita, that was so cool!" a voice squealed from behind her. The little mage turned and had about three seconds to react before the energetic Estelle bounced up to her, her blue eyes sparkling with admiration. "The way you move in battle is just so graceful and beautiful!" The princess went on and on, clasping her hands together. "You're just so cool, Rita!"

The amount of praise that was being thrown at her forced a blush to her cheeks. She tried and failed to hide it by turning her head and clearing her throat. "Y-yeah yeah."

Estelle giggled which made the mage blush harder. Without warning, she opened her arms and pulled the younger girl into a tight embrace. "I feel so lucky to know you, Rita," the princess cooed.

This didn't help Rita's ever growing blush. "L-let me go!" she stuttered.

"Hey, Estelle? Can you please heal me?" Karol said shakily, limping over to the two girls.

Estelle squeaked and released Rita quickly, turning to face the injured young boy. "Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot about healing you!" she cried, kneeling down to cast her spells. As soon as she finished she immediately ran to Yuri and began checking him over, though it was obvious he hadn't taken any damage. Rita grumbled to herself but was unable to look away from the scene. Losing to Yuri wasn't going to happen. Not if she had a say in any of it.

The young mage stared at her fizzy concoction warily. Not a lot would make her doubt herself. But the thought that there was a chance it might fail numbed her mind. That thought was followed by the backfiring option...she only wanted it to work on Estelle, not anybody else. If it were anyone else...Her gag reflex went off with the simple thought of the old man fawning over her from one mistake. That combined with the sickly sweet smell that erupted from the vial made her scramble for any kind of trash can or bucket. The nervousness didn't help her stomach either. Rita shook as she emptied her stomach into her trashcan. She made a mental note to wash it out later as she wiped her mouth on her sleeve. She took a deep breath and picked up the vial. It was warm and she could feel it pulsing like a heart through the glass.

"You had better work," she said to the vial, "and you had better work on the right person. I'm believing in something like you for once." The mage paused and frowned. "Why am I talking to a damn love potion?" she asked herself before bringing the liquid to her lips. Rita took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut and upturned the vial, drinking every last drop of her concoction.

It felt more like a warm, half-solid jelly crawling down her throat than a liquid, and she almost coughed to get it out of her body. Rita managed to repress the urge and choked down the rest of her experiment. The potion settled in her stomach and remained there, warming her whole body from the inside out. After setting the vial back in its place on the set, she stood up straight. The brunette held up her hands. Nothing was shaking. Everything felt normal. She double checked every joint and movement of her body just in case. Nope. Nothing wrong. Rita frowned and shook her head to clear it. She was just alone in the room. Of course nothing major would happen. Rita faced the door and exhaled slowly. Now was the moment of truth. She jumped over to the door and placed a hand on the knob. She gulped, hoping no one else would be out there. In order for this to work, Estelle would have the be the first one to look her in the eyes. At least according to the old notebook she got the recipe from. The young mage opened the door and peeked around. The area seemed to be vacant...perfect. Rita took her warning sign down and was just crumpling it up when a voice called out her name.

"Rita! So you finally decided to show yourself, huh?"

She would know that voice anywhere. No. Not him. It can't be him! Rita turned, keeping her eyes focused on the paved ground.

"I needed a little fresh air, Yuri," she lied, turning her gaze directly upward, "that is, if air gets recycled in this giant jellyfish."

"I'm pretty sure it does, Yuri smirked, folding his arms.

Rita looked back down, careful to look anywhere but his eyes. "What did you want?" she asked, her voice harsher than she intended.

"Yeesh, crabby," Yuri said, wrinkling his nose slightly. He pointed with his thumb behind him. "Estelle and Karol are waiting in the inn. Last time I saw Raven he was with Repede, checking out some ruins, and Judith went...somewhere. They got tired of waiting around for you."

Rita nodded, focusing on a passing cloud. Everyone was split. This was very good. "I'm tired, going to the inn. Don't ask questions."

Before the swordsman had another chance to speak, Rita darted past him and in the direction of Myorzo's inn. No more distractions. Idle chats or simple greetings to anyone she knew would have to wait. She had to get to Estelle as soon as she possibly could. The longer she waited, the more of a chance someone else would be affected by her experiment. That couldn't happen.

Rita burst through the door to the inn, gaining a small yelp of surprise from the occupants. Sure enough, Estelle stood by the window, Karol not too far away.

"Rita! There you are!" the little boy cried, running up to her.

"Not you," Rita scowled. She dodged the little boy, grabbed him by the collar and back of his pants and tossed him out of the door she left open. The cry of surprise he let out was cut off swiftly by the door slamming shut. Rita released the handle and slowly turned to face Estelle. Here it was. The moment of truth.

"Rita, what was that about?" Estelle asked, raising a hand to her chin.

"Nothing. Just..." Rita mumbled. She took a few steps closer to the princess, her eyes on the floor. When she determined she was close enough, Rita turned her head upward until her green eyes locked onto the blue ones of her crush. Rita gulped. Hopefully, her efforts wouldn't be in vain. She waited silently, watching Estelle's expression while never taking her eyes out of the older girls. A few long seconds passed. Finally, Estelle's face softened. Rita's heart skipped a beat. Was that a sign It was working?

"Why are you staring at me? Is it some kind of game?" Estelle asked sweetly, tilting her head.

The brunette blinked. "...Excuse me?"

"Oh, I know! It's a staring contest, isn't it?" the princess smiled, "I've never been very good at those. But I'll try, just for you Rita!" Estelle took a deep breath and put on a determined face as she stared into Rita's eyes.

Rita sighed. She hung her head and closed her eyes. There must have been something wrong with the formula. It was a failure. She mentally kicked herself for not getting the formulas right. Maybe there was too much honey...

"...Are you feeling alright?" Estelle asked, tilting her head. "You seem sad about something. Did I not play the game right?"

Rita snapped to reality. "Uh, no. I'm fine. You're doing a great job."

Estelle's eyes widened. "Really? You really think so?" She let out a small noise that was a mix between a yelp and a squeal. "I've never heard that from you before. It makes me so happy!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Rita asked.

Estelle took a step closer to her. There was about four inches between them now. Rita could feel her face starting to heat up again and did everything in her power to fight the rapidly growing blush. The princess grabbed Rita's hand and held it between her gloved ones.

"It really does make me so happy to hear. You're usually criticizing me and...well, I do like that too. It helps me become better." Her face twisted into frustration as she tried to piece her words together. "I'm not sure why...but I like getting praised by you, Rita. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside."

"I love you."

Estelle blinked. The words had shot out of Rita's mouth faster than her brain could process what she they were. She didn't realize it until it was far too late. Her face shot to a crimson that went well with her tunic.

"...Rita? Did I...hear you correctly?" Estelle asked quietly.

The little mage was frozen. She had to pick the right thing to say. And fast. "No! I-I meant..." She trailed off as Estelle's face fell. "Wh-what?"

The princess took a moment to respond. "Oh, nothing. You said that wasn't it. I'm fine, Rita. Promise." She finished her sentence with the fakest of smiles.

Rita wasn't too satisfied with the response. She frowned and put her hands on her hips, leaning inward slightly. Like how she always did when trying to get an answer out of someone. "I'm not leaving here until you tell me what's got you down all of a sudden."

Estelle bit her lower lip. Her aquamarine eyes darted back and for the Rita's face, who tried to keep up with them with her own green eyes. Then it happened. It was near instantaneous and Rita almost missed it. Estelle had taken advantage of the close quarters. She bent down slightly to match heights and pecked Rita on the nose. The mage's brain stopped working and refused to reboot. When she didn't react, Estelle began to fidget, her cheeks blushing as pink as her hair.

"Oh...oh no. I messed that up, didn't I? I missed..." She mumbled, twisting her fingers together.

A few seconds more and Rita was finally able to get part of her mind up and running again. "Why..." she asked, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat and repeated, "Why?"

The pinkette tilted her head. "Why? Because...it made me happy to hear that from you. Even if it was just an accident. I-I'm sorry!" Estelle shut her eyes tight and shrunk back a bit.

The shock wore off from the mage's body. Her face softened and she reached out, letting her fingertips lightly rest on the older girl's forearm.

"It, uhh...wasn't that." she stuttered. When Estelle gave her a questioning look, Rita blushed and took a deep breath. "It wasn't an accident, okay?" Her voice had gotten harsh out of pure instinct. It made Estelle flinch just a little bit. But slowly, a large smile grew on her face.

"Really? You really mean it?" she asked.

Rita puffed up her cheeks and nodded. She stared at the ground, her feet, Estelle's boots—anything but the other girls face. She was accosted with a hug followed by a happy squeal.

"I'm so happy! I thought it was just me!" Estelle smiled, squeezing the younger girl with every bit of strength she had.

"I...can't breathe..." Rita choked.

Estelle jumped and immediately released her. "I'm sorry, I just..."

There was a loud rap at the door. "Hey! Wrap it up!" Yuri's voice called from the other side. "We can't be sitting around on our asses forever There's things we need to do, you know!"

"Coming!" Estelle called, moving a bit to face the door. She turned back to Rita, the large smile still on her face. "come on, Rita," she said peppily. The princess held out her hand to the mage who, after a few moments of mental debate, took it. In that moment Rita realized: even though it was a failure, she didn't need that potion after all.


End file.
